TIB and EC
As expected the TIB is increasingly becoming controversial like our Election Commission. In my poor judgment, these two offices are turning into the most powerful political offices of our times. They are apparently engaged in a political game to achieve certain goals, not clear to any citizen of the country. Their creditability status can easily be marked "0".
The people have started opening their mind on the TIB reporting quality and purpose. They have successfully engaged the government and the ACC to deal with national level corruption, but the success remains to be evaluated by the independent organisation. The net result is: the country moved backward economically and politically. Instead of gaining confidence the stakeholders have lost initiative, creating a vacuum for progress and prosperity in Bangladesh.
The TIB has now moved the corruption issue to the rural areas. The ACC is actively considering to move there with necessary ammunition to create exactly the same situation as was created at the national level earlier. The result, one can anticipate, would be the same-- the economy and politics will move backward and create a panicky situation for the local government election candidates to participate freely and openly. This will only ensure a very clean path for the " most fortunate' candidates having the blessings of the government and the Election Commission!
The major negative fallout of the anti-corruption drive is that it has made the judiciary controversial and paved the way for easy and irrational law making to defend government action against the high profile people. I would once again recommend promoting a local organisation to project independent findings about ups and down of corruption in Bangladesh. This organisation can also offer professional views regarding the quality of reporting by the TIB including a framework for immediate legal remedy to address the issue of corruption. They should not depend on emergency rules forever to eradicate corruption. Be normal and look normal.
I have no intention to undermine the two most important institutions of the Republic plus the local outfit of an international organisation. The CEC in a projection meeting in Barisal said that those who would not participate in the local council elections would fall 5 years behind. What does it mean? Is it part of his duty to caution the candidates?
The everyday briefing by the ACC does not indicate any progress in their institutional development.
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